Closure



' J. H. WILY Oct. 30, 1951 CLOSURE Filed Jan. 31, 1946 INVE NTOR. James 15 Wig BY Viz 4, 4

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE I James H. Wily, Bethlehem, Pa.

Application January 31, 1946, Serial No. 644,569

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to closure devices for receptacles such as tanks, cans or the like.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this character that is self-ad- J'ustable so as to insure a perfectly uniform seal.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this character that is rugged in construction, simple to manufacture, and simple to use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the closure is positively locked in sealed position and yet may be readily unlocked by the user when. desired.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter to be described and then sought to be defined in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof which shows merely for the purposes of illustrative disclosure a preferred embodiment of the invention, it being expressly understood, however, that changes may be made in practice within the scope of the appended claim without digressing from the inventive idea.

In the drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and also viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a structural detail; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a modified locking structure.

Referring to the drawing, C illustrates a fragment of a container, tank, can or other receptacle. An opening I ll is provided therein. This opening I0 is defmed by a flange H. A shoulder 12 and a seat l3 are provided on the flange II. In the embodiment shown, the shoulder l2 and the seat l3 lie below the surface of the container 0. An annular upstanding rim or bead H3 is provided on the flange l l and this rim or bead in the embodiment shown lies above the surface of the container C.

A removable strainer 15 is supported in the opening [0. This strainer has an annular flange l6 that rests upon the shoulder I2. The strainer may be of conventional form. In the embodiment shown, the flange I6 is formed by securing the rim ll of the strainer to a ring l8 as by welding, brazing or in other suitable manner. A lifting knob or handle I9 is secured to the strainer. A reduced portion 20 of this knob or handle extends through a pair of washers 2|, 22 on opposite sides of the strainer and is riveted at 23 so that the washers 2|, 22 clamp the strainer firmly over an area that is large enough to tend to prevent sharp bending of the strainer in the region of the knob. Thus the life of the strainer l5 will be lengthened because even frequent removal of the strainer and consequent manipulation of its knob l9 'will not tend to damage it.

A gasket 25 is supported on the annular seat 13. A closure cap or cover 26 fits removabltv within the opening [0 defined by flange ll, above the gasket 25. The cap 26 has a dome-like shape and any configuration in plan such as circular, elliptical, square or the like. It will be understood that the opening l0 defined by flange II will have a shape corresponding with the shape in plan of the cap or cover 26. The latter is attached loosely to a lever 21, for example, by a hollow rivet 28 whose opening 29' permits venting of gases in the container. The opening 29, however, is sufliciently small to prevent leakage of liquid therethrough.

The lever 21 is hinged loosely to an upright post or pillar 30 which is secured suitably as by riveting it at 3| to the tank or container C. The pillar 30 has a transversely extending hole 32. The lever 21 has a forked end whose tines 33, 34 are bent around to form eyelets 35, 36 and the two tines 33, 34 are spaced from each other a distance greater than the diameter of the pillar or post 38 for a purpose to bepresently described.

The eyelets 35, 36 of these tines are aligned with the openin 32 and a hinge pin 3'! is used to hinge the lever 21 to the pillar 30. This pin 3'! in a major portion of its length is of smaller diameter than the hole 32, or openings 35, 36. A portion 38 of larger diameter is provided. The diameter of this portion 38 is admeasured so that it must be forced into one or the other of the openings 35 or 36 with a drive fit that is sufficiently tight to prevent loss of the hinge pin 31 even during long or rough use of the device. However, the fit is such that the pin 31 may be driven out by force, if necessary, for repair work or for other reasons. The surface of'the portion 38 may be knurled as shown or otherwise roughened to insure the tight fit described. However, since the main body of the pin 37 fits loosely in the hole 32 of pillar 30, the lever 21 is loosely hinged with respect thereto and is, therefore, capable of some lateral motion as well as purely rotational motion for a purpose to be presently described.

An opening 4|] in the lever 21 is positioned so that it can be rotated to overlie a fixed upright or pillar 41. This pillar is fixed, for example, by riveting at 42 to the container C. This upright 4| is recessed or grooved at 43.

A locking slide member 44 is carried slidably on the lever 27. This slide member 44 has bent over flanges 45, 46 that extend around opposite side edges of the lever member 21 to its under face. These flanges 45, 46 embrace the lever 21 loosely enough to permit it to slide over the latter. The sliding movement is limited, however, by a pin and slot arrangement which, in the embodiment shown, includes a pin 48 secured to the lever 27 and a longitudinally extending slot 49 in the slide member 44. Obviously, the positions of the pin and the slot may be reversed if desired. Other suitable limiting means may be substituted.

A recess 50 is provided in the slide member 44. The walls of this recess 50 are admeasured to fit within and engage the recess or groove 43 of the pillar or upright 4| and when so engaged to lock the member 27 in the position shown in Fig. 2. A flange extending laterally from the slide member 44 serves as a convenient manipulating member for operating the slide member 44.

The crown 26' of the cap or closure 26 is raised above the level of its flange 26" sufliciently so that when the lever 2'! is pressed down and upright 4! passes through opening 44 and slide member 44 is moved to lock the lever in place, as described above, the flange 26" presses uniformly upon the gasket 25. This uniform pressure is transmitted to press the gasket 25 tightly against the seat I3. The uniformity of pressure is secured because of both the loose attachment of the cap or closure 26 to the lever 27 through rivet 29 and the lateral mobility of the lever 27 because of its loose hinge connection withthe pillar 30.

The lever 21 is spring-like and pressure must be exerted on its free end 21 to bring it below the level of recess 43 in pillar 4| so that the locking slide member 44 can engage in recess 43. This pressure in turn is uniformly distributed about the rim flange 26" to effect the tight seal described. It is preferable, irrespective of the shape in plan'of the cap or cover 26, that its loose joint through rivet 28 with the lever 21 be located centrally.

In the embodiment shown, all parts except the gasket are made of metal. The gasket 25 is of rubber or other resilient material. Plastic compositions, or other suitable materials may be substituted for all or some of the parts.

If desired, the locking slide member 44 can be replaced by a simple rotary locking member or lever 60 (Fig. 5) pivoted at El to the lever 27.

This lever or rotary locking member 60 is admeasured in length so that when swung from the dotted position of Fig. 5 to the full line position of that figure, its end 62 engages in the recess 43 of the pillar or post 4] and functions in the same way as slide member 44 to lock the member 27 in the position shown in Figure 2. Other forms of locking members can be used.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, variations may be made in practice within the scope of the claim. There is no intention, therefore, of limitation to the exact details shown and described.

What is claimed is:

A closure device for the opening of a container comprising a reentrant flange encompassing a seat, a closure member admeasured to fit removably Within the flange and to overlie and contact said seat, a gasket between said member and said seat, an elongated substantially flat and rectangularly shaped lever, a post secured to said container outwardly of and contiguous to the flange and having a horizontally disposed pintle hole extending therethrough adjacent the top thereof, one end of the lever having a pair of horizontal eyelets thereon and the openings of the eyelets being in horizontal alignment and there being a space intermediate of said eyelets, the said post being positioned in the space between the eyelets and with a pintle pin passing through the openings of the eyelet and post serving as a hinge connection for the lever, said pintle pin having a major portion thereof of uniform diameter smaller than the openings in the post and eyelets and a minor end portion of a larger diameter than said major portion, so that when the minor portion is snugly in only one of the eyelets with the major portion extending through the openings in the post and other eyelet there results a loose fitting hinge connection for the lever to the post, means for loosely securing the closure at a substantially central point to the lever intermediatethe ends thereof, the lever having an opening inwardly of but adjacent its other end, a second post secured to the container outwardly of and contiguous to the flange and being substantially opposite to the first post, the second post having a reduced circumferential groove therein, the dimensions of the opening in the lever being such that an end portion of the sec-0nd post passes through the opening and exposes the recess in the post, a locking member slidably mounted on the end of the lever wherein the opening is provided, the locking member having an outwardly opening recess in one end thereof, the opposite walls of said recess being such that they engage the circumferential groove in the second post to maintain the closure and the gasket on the seat under the loose connection of the hinge portion of the lever carrying the closure and allowing for a proper seating of the closure on the seat, and means carried by the lever and cooperating with the locking member to limit the sliding movements of the sliding member relative to the lever.

JAMES H. WILY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

